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post	Those Roman dudes were pretty cool actually	Lerler	2021-08-26 23:45:00 +0200

_{Shot with the incredible Fuji X-T30, 18-55 F2.8 Kit lens @ 55mm, F5.6}

The ol' family and I traveled to Jerusalem and Cesearea this week, so I can feel like a tourist again. Harkening back to my tourist days, I recalled the somber words of an Australian father down in Tasmania, after I expressed my wonder at the scope of domestic travel availble to Aussies. "We've got things to see, sure, but in Israel, you have such history!"

And boy howdy, do we now.

We went into the Westren Wall tunnels, a destination that (amazingly!) not one of the dozen or so institutions that dragged me to there bothered letting us into. That bit outside? it's nice. But there's a nicer bit inside!

As it turns out, the actual Jerusalem lies a good few meters under the ground, and the Muslim empires that came after the Romans simply raised the whole gosh darn city to be even with this massive temple complex. Has not a single school, course, government or military institution thought to mention this awesome fact?

Deep inside, there's a surreal women's shul (Yes, I know this word now), and below it is the single biggest stone of the wall - which weights (or so the guide claimed) like approximately 60 African Elephants - about 3 meters deep, 14 meters wide and 3 meters tall. And on it, you can still see the chisel marks from Herod's stonemasons. 2000 year old chisel marks! that's history right there, folks!

There's even a fraction of authentic Jerusalem street buried underneath (yes, the Muslims just... built right on top of it. Mind boggling.).

_{It just keeps going on top! How has no one told me this??}

That whole complex was so god darn massive, in fact, the Romans themselves (they really did go on for quite a bit, didn't they) failed to destroy it after the Jewish Bar Kochva rebellion - yes, there's also that bit. Slightly less awesome.

That same crazy Herod (why is it Herod in English?) went on, or perhaps came from - I didn't do my reasearch - the northen city of Cesearea, named after... the cesear [note: this is intensely ironic in today's political climate). What can I say, it seems like they had a chill hangout spot back then.

_{Hardly anything like this lying around Tassie, is there?}

In Cesearea, I discovered several things:

1. Whoever's in charge of Israel's national parks has no aesthetic sensitivity whatsoever (see garbage can in image below)

2. Hadera's famous Wieners, Cesearea and the bunch of those Kibbutzes are within spitting distance, and I should really get around to studying geography

3. Those Romans knew how to have a good time.

_{Old & New in Cesearea. Can you see the garbage bin?}

As I stood there gazing at King Herod's mighty vacation palace sinking in the sea, I could not help but wonder - is there any point aside from having a good time?

_{I'd go for a swim.}

I'd like to imagine Herod as a smug bastard sitting in that pool (yes, it is a pool) enjoying a nice glass of Roman wine, and that really helps.